Tongol: Majority present needed to subpoena VP bank, tax records

MANILA, Philippines — The “simple majority” of the senator-judges present in the Senate impeachment trial on Monday, July 20, will be needed to grant the House prosecution panel’s request to subpoena Vice President Sara Duterte’s financial and tax records, as well as Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

Senate impeachment court spokesperson Atty. Regie Tongol said this in a press briefing following the oral arguments between the prosecution and defense on the sixth day of the impeachment trial this Wednesday.

READ: Impeach court to rule on subpoena plea for Duterte’s bank, tax records July 20

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“When it’s just ordinary voting, a simple majority is enough for a quorum. So only those senator-judges present will be able to vote,” Tongol said.

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“The winning vote is 50 percent plus one,” he added, affirming that if 21 senator-judges are present, 11 votes will be needed to affirm the subpoena’s issuance.

When asked if the Sernate impeachment court will already rule on the issuance of subpoenas on Monday, Tongol said, “That is the expectation.”

After the oral arguments this Wednesday, Presiding Officer and Senator-Judge Francis “Chiz” Escudero said the impeachment court will rule on the subpoena issuance on Monday, explaining that the senator-judges will need time to study the request.

The House prosecution panel requested the issuance of the subpoena as evidence for allegations of Duterte’s unexplained wealth in the impeachment trial. /mr

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